The delays in the provision of final Overseas Arrivals and Departures (OAD) data by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA), associated with the introduction of new passenger card processing arrangements from August 2000 have been resolved. DIMIA has now provided data for all outstanding months and the backlog published. The last outstanding months, April to June 2001 were published in Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (cat. no. 3401.0) on 17 December 2002.

ABS reviewed the dissemination of OAD statistics in consultation with major users with the return to monthly releases commencing with the August 2002 issue. Overseas Arrivals and Departures (cat. no. 3401.0) is now released approximately three weeks from the end of the reference month and contains preliminary information for the reference month together with final passenger card based information for the previous month. For example, November 2002 issue was released on 23 December 2002, and contained preliminary information for November 2002 and final information for October 2002). Some tables were changed to include both the financial year-to-date and calendar year-to-date totals.

Apart from these changes, the format of the publication remains substantially unchanged from the standard format prior to August 2000. Some additional suggested changes are being investigated and considered and consultation with users will commence within the next few weeks with the release of a new ABS Demography Working Paper outlining potential changes in the content, analysis and commentary, and improved timeliness for implementation by mid 2003.

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